


Æbleskiver

by Aramirandme81



Series: A Johnsons Christmas Calendar 2013 [5]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Cooking Lessons, Family, Family Secrets, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-03 12:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/pseuds/Aramirandme81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What are those?” Mike asks as grandma Johnson pours patter into a strange looking pan he’s never seen before. </p>
<p>“Æbleskiver Mike dear. They are a traditional Danish winter and Christmas treat.”</p>
<p>“Oh. Can I have one?” Mike asks, then thinking it never hurts being polite adds a “please?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Æbleskiver

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elenhin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenhin/gifts).



****

They have spent the morning and early noon sorting out god shit and once they finally got everything sorted they had all felt sort of at a lose end, so Anders, of all people, had invited them over to his place for a late noon tea. 

And since Anders seldom did so they all said yes. He’d promised Axl there would be something edible which usually meant they would pick something up on the way or they would call out for something, but Anders actually going into his kitchen to do some cooking? That almost never happened. This was a shame because he could easily equal Ty’s (or dad’s) skill when he wished to do it. 

“What is that?” Axl asks as Anders takes out an old funny looking cast-iron pan and places it beside the stove. 

Anders doesn’t answer him he’s already halfway inside his fridge getting milk and eggs out.

Mike picks up the pan and looks at it in wonder.

“I didn’t know they sold these here.”

“They don’t.” Anders answers as he measures flour and sugar out.

“Then where did you get it? Did you bring it back from Norway?” Mike can’t quite seem to stop touching the pan.

“No. It was gran’s.” Anders says locking eyes with Mike.

“Oh.” Mike says and his eyes take on a soft look.

Axl looks from one to the other.

“Sooo, what’s it for?” He asks.

“Æbleskirver.” Anders says.

“And what are those?”

 

*****

 

“What are those?” Mike asks as grandma Johnson pours patter into a strange looking pan he’s never seen before. 

“Æbleskiver Mike dear. They are a traditional Danish winter and Christmas treat.”

“Oh. Can I have one?” Mike asks, then thinking it never hurts being polite adds a “please?”

“Once they are done yes, but not before. Now where did my little helper go?” Gran’ looks around and spots Anders as he comes wobbling over dragging the bag of apples after him. 

“Apples!” Three year old Anders says proud as a peacock that he’s managed to do what his grandmother asked.

“That’s right dear apples, you did very well.” She praises Anders who beams at her.

“Now traditionally there would always be either a slice of apple or some apple sauce in these, they don’t do that much anymore though, but since ‘someone’,” she looked at Anders and reached down to ruffle his curly blond hair,while she flips the things she’s roasting in the very special pan a quarter of a circle over with something that looks like a knitting needle with the other hand. “Since someone is very fond of apples we’ll make some traditional ones as well. Now Andy can you hand me two of the apples?” She holds up two finger to make sure he knows how many two is, Anders nods. He sits down and gives the bag a very thorough rummage to find the best apples. 

“Here.” He says and holds up the two he’s picked out.

“Thank you dear. Mike will you put the rest away please? I don’t think it’s good on the apples being dragged back and forth like that.”

“I can’t lift them.” Anders says,he really does hate being too little for things Mike can just do without a thought. And now Gran, his very favorite adult, thinks he’s ruining the apples? His bottom lip is out and wobbling slightly, eyes big and just a tad brighter and wetter than normal. 

“Oh no Andy I wasn’t scolding you dear I just wanted Mike to have something to do as well.” She winks at Mike who winks back. 

Anders looks at her like he’s very much aware of what she just did, and he’s not impressed. Gran laughs and shakes her head fondly. “I keep forgetting how bright you are.” Gran says as she bends to pick Anders up and places him on the counter some distance from the stove. “You are much, much sharper than your mother was at your age. You’re going to be such a bright light I can tell. Now sit there and watch, no touching the stove or you’ll burn yourself and won’t get any æbleskiver.” Anders nods and sits still. Threats to his treats are something Anders takes very seriously. 

Gran is quick to peel the apples, then slice and chop them until they are almost but not quite a mash, only stopping once to turn the little cakes the rest of the way meaning that they are now formed like little golden brown spheres.

“There all done.” Gran says as she spears them one at the time and put them into a little bowl. “Would you like to try it Mike?”

Mike gives the strange pan a look.

“I’m not sure I know how.”

“I’ll do half to show you, and then you can do the other half alright?”

“Okay.”

Gran expertly pours the batter into the half sphere shapes in the pan then gives Mike the jug so he can do the same.

“Now you let them bake until the outside begins to turn crisp then you use the needle to flip them half way like this.” Gran demonstrates. “Only if you plan on adding the filling you do so first. And we want our apples don’t we Anders?” She asks the little boy who’s patiently following along from his spot on the counter. 

“They are my favorite.” Anders confesses, causing his grandmother to smile widely. 

“Mine too. My mother used to make the best æbleskiver, well anything she did with apples was wonderful, but then it would have to be.” Gran said with a fond smile as she added the apples to half the cakes.

“Why?” Mike asks.

“Why what Mike?” Gran asks back.

“Why would it have to be wonderful?”

“Well because she was… just so fond of apples. She knew everything about them I think so she knew just which ones would be the best ones to use.” Gran explains, though if Mike had looked at his gran and not at the pan he might have noticed her slightly shifty look.

“Oh, that makes sense.” Mike says as he takes the needle and tries to flip his æbleskiver like gran just did. It’s not nearly as easy as she made it look though.

“You’ll get it eventually dear, and there’s plenty of batter, so don’t be too sorry if you burn a couple, gods know I burned about a thousand of the things before I got it right.” 

“Why do you say gods instead of just god?” Mike wants to know.

“Oh it’s just a silly old habit of a silly old woman pay no attention to it Mike dear.”

“You’re not silly!” Anders says, indignant that anyone could say such a thing about his gran, especially his gran herself. “You’re the smartest adult there is!”

“Thank you Andy, but I think most people would disagree with you.”

“They are the silly ones.” Anders insists his blue eyes stormy and he looks very much determined to defend his point of view. 

“Oh you are a treasure. I’m tempted to just pack you with my knitting when I leave and take you home with me.”

“Yes please! Can Mike and Ty come too?” Anders is eager to accept, but he would like his brothers with him, even Ty who only eat, sleep, scream and smell.

“Oh no honey I can’t take you with me, any of you. You have to stay with your parents.”

“Much rather be with you gran.” Anders says, sounding both so sincere and so much more mature than his three years that gran is momentarily lost for words.

“I know honey, I know. But you have to stay here with your parents and brothers.” She hugs the little boy to her, and he hugs her right back with all the strength he has in his little arms. It’s enough to make grans eyes moist. “I’m here until the new year, and we are going to have lots of fun in that time. But for now: Æbleskiver.” Gran declares and takes over the pan, much to the relief of both Mike and Anders.

They have a wonderful time and the only way anyone can make Anders let go of her when she has to leave is by promising she will be back as soon as possible and for sure she’ll spend next Christmas with them as well. 

That Christmas she teaches Anders to make the little cakes and it’s the last they ever get to spend with her before she dies.

 

***** 

 

Mike look on as his brother expertly turns the little spheres so they bake evenly. And his eyes mist over in bliss and re-awoken memories as he bites into the first one. Crisp on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. Perfect and just like gran used to make them. They definitely get the approved stamp. 

“I didn’t think you’d remember anything from back then let alone how to make these.” Mike confesses as he reaches for more as they all sit around the kitchen island drinking warm Glög and eating Æbleskiver. Because the two goes together Gran had said.

“I never forget the important stuff Mike.”Anders says and holds his gaze for a second as he serves his brother.

Mike looks around Anders apartment where Axl is digging in with gusto expressing fondness for this new treat, Olaf smiles a melancholic fond smile as he dips them in strawberry jam before he bites into them and Ty who is alternating between eating and observing Anders technique for turning the spheres as he bakes more to keep up with the demand merely smiling as Axl accuses him of being domestic and Ty shoots back the ‘insult’ that Anders have so often given him that he will someday make someone a good wife. 

It’s quiet, it’s warm and …dare he say it: cozy? 

“No, I guess not.” Mike says and sips his Glög, the hot sweet spiciness caressing his taste buds and completing the taste of Christmas past.

Yes Anders could make someone a wonderful wife someday.

**Author's Note:**

> I Love æbleskiver, I don’t know if you could tell? ;-P  
> I know it isn’t action filled, but I thought it a nice little look into their early Christmases.   
> Anyway thx for reading, feel very, VERY free to comment if you like it or tell me what you didn’t like. Also kudos are nice, and you get to be silent if you are shy.   
> Also my ‘challenge’ from last part still stands: If you have something Christmassy you whish to see, tell me and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll also be happy with single words, for my ‘one word Christmas special’   
> Cheers and merry Christmas!


End file.
